September 08, 2010 - Despite hopes of some city residents to salvage a police-saving millage through a ballot recount, the outcome of the Sept. 3 recount was the same.

Residents voted on a general five mill increase, which officials say they would have used to saved the police. The millage rate was denied by seven votes, 196 "yes" votes to 203 "no."

"I am ecstatic we did everything right (and) we had the right numbers. I'm just tickled pink – it's the best way to start a weekend," said City Clerk/Treasurer Jan Gillespie. "We knew we had it right, but when they ask for a recount, we had to do it."

City Manager Dennis Ritter agreed.

"I don't argue the right to request a recount," Ritter said. "We had run (the ballots) twice here and ran it at the county the night of the election and it all turned out the same. We're going to be charged $1,600 (for the recount). I guess that's the cost of doing business."

The recount request was originally made by resident and voter Terry Summerlee because absentee ballots were jamming in the machine.

"It is what it is," Summerlee said. "They already voted at the meeting that they were disbanding the police as of tonight (Sept. 3) at 11 p.m."

Summerlee said he is in support of Cory Johnston's idea to dissolve the city.

"If this was about taxation, then the rest of the people shouldn't have a problem dissolving the city because we're going to save ourselves some money," he said. "We've lost the one service that was the most important service that we had. Right now we're basically a glorified lawn service."

Summerlee said citizens are still "disgruntled with city council over the way things have been handled."

"We're going to see things change," he said. "It might take a couple years, but if I were a betting man I would say one day in the future the City of Clarkston will no longer exist."

Trevor graduated with degrees in English and communications from Rochester College. He wrote for his college and LA View newspapers before joining The Clarkston News in May 2007.